fanaticism. It is all perfectly reasonable and natural. Should a poor man suddenly become rich, or a sick man all at once find himself in strong health-should a person who was sleeping in a dungeon wake up in a palace, or he who was in a wilderness find himself in a garden-how sweet would be the surprise! how delightful the feelings! Even so it is with him who passes from a state of nature to a state of grace. "When God revealed his gracious name, And changed my mournful state; Well may there be joy, yea "rapture," in the soul, seeing that every thing in relation to the sinner has undergone so great and pleasing a change. The bond-slave of the devil has become the freedman of Christ, and the heir of wrath an heir of glory! O that many hearts may even now yield, and may this be the birth day of many a precious soul! When Naaman returned to Syria, cleansed of his leprosy, no doubt there were rejoicings there! How joyfully must his friends have greeted him, now returned safe and sound! and O how happy, especially, must have been his kindred, the members of his own family! Surely the voice of joy and gratulation was heard on every hand! Surely there must have been a jubilee for many days! And now, should the awakened sinner come to Christ, what joy would this inspire in many bosoms! This would be an occasion long to be remembered. Yes, only let these anxious souls who are now weeping-only let them now come to Christ, and we shall have a jubilee here too! O how that pious father would rejoice in the conversion of his son! How that pious mother, who for years has been praying for her daughter-how she would press to her bosom with feelings of new delight that beloved daughter, once careless, now a Mary at the feet of her Redeemer! How would the pious wife rejoice over the conversion of her husband! and the pious husband over the conversion of his wife! How brothers and sisters would rush into each other's arms, and give glory to God, that now, at last, they were going to heaven hand in hand! I have beheld such scenes. They bring us near to heaven. O for the yielding of hearts! the breaking down of strongholds! God grant us a pentecostal time, a blessed jubilee now, even in this place, and at this time! O Lord, revive thy work! Let the people praise thee, let all this people praise thee! Amen, and Amen! SERMON VI. THE EXAMPLE OF ELI. For I have told him, that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knoweth because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.-1 SAMUEL iii. 13. THE case of Eli is melancholy, yet full of instruction; and, whilst there is a parent on earth, it will sound an alarm, which must, and will be heard. Eli was high-priest, and was, upon the whole, a good man; but in one thing he was much to be blamed-he neglected parental duty-"His sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not." Bending now beneath the load of age, this good, but too indulgent parent, had retired from the active duties of the priesthood. These duties had devolved upon his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas; but, alas! they were "sons of Belial;" for, although ministering as priests, in the service of the Lord, they were openly immoral! Indeed, so shameful were the immoralities of the young men, that "men abhorred the offering of the Lord." Eli, it is true, was probably not an eye-witness of his sons' immoralities, but he was not ignorant of them; for, we are told, that he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, but he restrained them not. To be sure, he did not pass over the matter entirely, in silence. No, he reasoned, he expostulated, and even reproved them, saying, "Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil doings, by all this people; nay, my sons, it is no good report that I hear of you. You make the Lord's people to transgress. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him?" Thus, he reasoned, and expostulated, and gently reproved, but restrained them not. This was not enough. The sins of the young men were flagrant, and called for stronger measures. He ought to have rebuked them sharply. He ought to have exerted his authority, and put these sons of Belial out of the priesthood. But, no! his too indulgent spirit, his overweening fondness—perhaps I should rather say, his criminal weakness-caused him to neglect parental duty; and what was the consequence? Terrible, indeed! God's righteous anger is kindled, and it burns fiercely, against the household of this venerable, but unhappy old man. The first alarming intimations of divine wrath is made by a prophet, who, divinely commissioned, comes to Shiloh, and rings an awful peal in the ears of Eli, predicting heavy judgments, just at hand. Shortly after this, the Lord appeared to Samuel, by night, and said unto him: "Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle! In that day, I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house. When I begin, I will also make an end: for I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knoweth: because his sone made themselves vile, and he restrained them not therefore have I sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever." These were not vain words. At this time, there was war between the Israelites and the Philistines. To animate and encourage the former, the ark of God was carried from Shiloh into their camp. Hophni and Phinehas, as officiating priests, went along with the ark. When the ark was brought into the camp of Israel, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again! When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, and understood the occasion thereof, they were terrified, and cried out, saying, "God is come into the camp! Woe unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hands of these mighty gods? These are the gods which smote the Egyptians with all the plagues, in the wilderness." Nevertheless, they encouraged each other, saying, "Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not ser |